Ricotta pesto pasta
Perfect for spring, this ricotta pasta pesto is lighter in colour than the normal recipe


Ricotta pesto pasta
Creamier in texture and lighter in colour than traditional pesto, this sauce is the perfect springtime pasta accompaniment. For a more substantial meal feel free to experiment with strips of cooked turkey or chicken breast.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
200g good quality, dried pasta
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 handfuls frozen petit pois
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10-15 cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
1 large handful fresh basil
1 handful pinenuts, toasted
2 heaped tbsp ricotta
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Seasoning
Method:
Using a food processor or handheld blender, blitz together the basil, toasted pinenuts and ricotta. Season with a squeeze of lemon juice and generous amounts of salt and pepper.
Place a large pan of water on to boil. Whilst this heats up gently fry the red onion pieces in a little sunflower or nut oil. Once cooked through, transfer the onion to a plate and leave to one side.
Add a glug of olive oil and some sea salt to the now boiling water. Tip in the pasta and stir to ensure it doesn't clump together.
Keeping an eye on the pasta, add the garlic to the used onion pan and then the whole cherry tomatoes. After about 5 minutes the skins will start to blister and char. Check that they are soft all the way through before removing from the heat.
Roughly halfway through the pastas cooking time-check the packet for instructions-pour in the frozen peas.
Once the pasta and pea mixuture has finished cooking, drain it and return to the saucepan over a low heat. Combine with the tomato, garlic-covered onion and pesto, stirring gently until everything has reached the same temperature.
Rosie is Country Life's Digital Content Director & Travel Editor. She joined the team in July 2014 — following a brief stint in the art world. In 2022, she edited the magazine's special Queen's Platinum Jubilee issue and coordinated Country Life's own 125 birthday celebrations. She has also been invited to judge a travel media award and chaired live discussions on the London property market, sustainability and luxury travel trends. Rosie studied Art History at university and, beyond Country Life, has written for Mr & Mrs Smith and The Gentleman's Journal, among others. The rest of the office likes to joke that she splits her time between Claridge’s, Devon and the Maldives.
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